# I think Heartfelt beads runied my bathroom counter-top



## Speedie (Nov 24, 2009)

When I was charging my heartfelt beads up I placed them back into the tube and shook them until any excess water kind of sprinkled off. When I did first open my beads I realized there was a large amount of "bead dust", but I ignored it thinking it was nothing serious.

So I shake my tube off and walk into my bathroom the next day seeing this.



















Right away I thought that it was just some caked on bead/water compound from the night before, so I pull out a cloth and start wiping. It doesn't come off. I get a cleaner. Still doesn't come off.

Now I'm starting to get worried. I try to wipe the stains in the sink, and they come off fine. I start to inspect closer and it seems like the bead/water compound has eaten through the top layer of my counter. The stains seem like they are burnt in. It has to be the beads because only I use the bathroom and very rarely at that. Nearly 0 activity goes on in it, so it couldn't have been something else.

I'm kind of pissed. I would have taken more care if I would have known something like this could happen. It's gonna cost a pretty penny to fix, which I'm now going to have to pay for.

I'm hoping that there is a solution to this. If not I hope this post warns some people and they take care when working with the beads.

EDIT: Sorry for the pics. They looked clearer on my phone.


----------



## smelvis (Sep 7, 2009)

Damn dude that sucks, Chemicals are not a good mix with granite, can you maybe try some staining, I would call a contractor and ask or go to a showroom and see if they have a cheaper solution.

Good Luck!

Dave


----------



## ninjaturtlenerd (Nov 14, 2009)

from the pictures i cant see but is that where it ate away at the counter top or left a film on the surface?

edit: nm i found the words below picture. sorry to hear and thanks for the heads up.


----------



## fybyoyo (May 7, 2009)

Let me start by saying I'm not 100% sure how the beads work but I've heard that they have some kind of salt (or mixture of salts) that regulate the humidity, just like using table salt to calibrate your hygrometer works. I haven't had chemistry in awhile but it looks like when salts and water are mixed they form an acid/base <-> water/salt equilibrium. In a closed environment (non-reacting container) they stay in equilibrium but when the water/salt mixture hit the countertop the acid part was more attracted to what's in the countertop then re-reacting with the base to keep in equilibrium. I know acids will dissolve rock material even though the acid is weak by sitting overnight that gave it enough time to react with the countertop.

Just a theory.

I found this on granite/marble repair, doesn't sound pleasant.

"Repairing granite and marble scratches isn't quite as easy. If your stone is scratched, a stone care professional would come in with an electric machine (grinder, etc.) and sand the scratch out. Diamond pads, buffer pads, felt pads, and chemical polishers such as tin oxide are used to polish the surface of the stone.
The grit of the pads and the number of steps taken depends on the the scratch, your stone's location, and the type of stone. In some instances, it may be necessary to send the piece of stone in to be resurfaced. This would make your stone like new but it's expensive."

The white stuff is probably just another kind of salt. You should be able to dissolve that salt away. It won't get rid of the pits but it will get rid of the white spots. Without knowing what it exactly is I can't give you any suggestions on what will dissolve it though and I would not suggest experimenting unless all is lost. It would have to be some kind of polar compound though.

Best of luck.


----------



## Coop D (Oct 19, 2008)

You sure that is "Bead Juice"???? Looks like something else to me!!!!


----------



## Speedie (Nov 24, 2009)

fybyoyo said:


> The white stuff is probably just another kind of salt. You should be able to dissolve that salt away. It won't get rid of the pits but it will get rid of the white spots. Without knowing what it exactly is I can't give you any suggestions on what will dissolve it though and I would not suggest experimenting unless all is lost. It would have to be some kind of polar compound though.
> 
> Best of luck.


Thanks a lot. I feel much better now. I hope your theory is right. I'll try to find a local stone mason and ask him.



Coop D said:


> You sure that is "Bead Juice"???? Looks like something else to me!!!!


Literally nothing goes on in this bathroom. I've taken a leak in it maybe 3 times in my life. This bathroom is in my basement - a place where only I go. The only object I can even imagine doing something like this would be the beads, unless soap can do something like this.


----------



## Tarks (Mar 3, 2009)

Damn Kay. That really sucks. I sure hope you figure out a solution. Keep us posted.


----------



## thebayratt (Jun 4, 2009)

Is is a "true" granite counter top? I have LG Solid surface counter tops in my kitchen and if they ever get a scratch or foreign object stuck on them the can be sanded down slightly to clear the imperfections. 
One way to tell is to look and see if there is a way the sink is undermounted to the top. If its sealed seam then more than likely you have "solid surface" tops and can be sanded down somewhat. But if its granite....... im not sure how that will come out.


----------



## ARCHAIC (Oct 5, 2009)

Speedie said:


> So I shake my tube off and walk into my bathroom the next day seeing this.


 too damn funny!!!:r:chk:chk


----------



## jolyrogger (Jan 7, 2010)

man that sux. I have granite top bathroom sinks too.. I know not to revive the beads in there now. I hope you find a solution to this problem, and if so please share..


----------



## cigar loco (Jan 21, 2010)

have you talked to heartfelt?? maybe they have seen this before.


----------



## sam1014 (Nov 30, 2009)

they make acid based stain removers for most natural stone..look online and you should find your answer..granite is porous and will absorb any liquid that stays on top of it for long periods of time..so for future referance clean up anything left over lol..your granite probably had a sealer on top of it but leaving whatever was in the beads overnight gave time to penetrate the sealer...good luck and if it doesnt work lmk and ill and ill get you a better answer


----------



## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

How to remove stains on your granite countertops

Do not panic if you stain your granite, because you can easily clean off stains with a few household items. Depending on the kind of stain, you may need to use different mixtures.

If the stain is heavy and cannot be removed by simple warm water and mild dishwashing liquid, then create this sure-fire formula - combine together about one to two tablespoons of dishwashing liquid, one cup of flour, and just enough water until the solution becomes thick (about the same consistency as paste). Simply put this solution right over the stain. Cover the area with a plastic wrap. Leave it overnight. You can then scrape the mixture away gently, preferably using a wooden utensil. Rinse. The stain should be gone.
Oil stains such as grease stain, oil stain, or milk stain requires a different solution altogether. Combine together hydrogen peroxide (in place of dishwashing liquid), a cup of flour, and enough water to make a paste. You also need to put this solution on the stain, cover the area with plastic, and leave for about 12 hours. The stain should be gone when you scrape off the mixture in the morning.; If this does not work, replace the hydrogen peroxide with ammonia. 
Is the stain organic (such as tea stains, coffee stains, or fruit stains)? Then you need to combine hydrogen peroxide (about 12% will do) with about two drops of ammonia. This solution should take organic stains off immediately.

Try this as well :

Granite Stain Removal

We have granite in every bathroom and kitchen and believe me,,,if you don't take the time to seal it you are asking for trouble. We had our neices stay with us one week and they spilled some stuff on the sink and put a hand towel over it to hide it. When they left we were cleaning up and this was our surprise,,,STAINS! Since granite is a porous stone I thought we were screwed but I used the above method and it worked,,,some stains on there we had to use the mixture twice but it came back and you can't tell where it was stained. Good luck!


----------



## Perfecto Dave (Nov 24, 2009)

First off...unless I missed it somewhere...determine if what you have is granite or a synthetic simulation. I don't think Speedie mentioned for sure what exactly it is. If it's true granite, I'm going to find it a little hard to believe that the bead juice ate into the surface of it. We have granite and I am literally one of the hardest people on these tops. We do keep ours sealed with granite sealer though as it is porous and will take on coffee stains and such if you don't keep them sealed. But granite is one of the hardest materials you can have for your counter tops. As mentioned, you need diamond cutters to work with this material. 
It may have stained it but I just can't believe it etched into it....if it's real granite.

I hope you can get it out without much trouble.........


----------



## CIGAR4TSZ (Jan 12, 2010)

From the picture you have posted and by the way your sink is moulded to the countertop I would have to say that it looks like you have a corian top or some other solid surface not granite, and you should be able to have it sanded out unless it is etched in to deep.


----------



## gibson_es (Jan 23, 2010)

look at the bright side. at least its the bathroom only YOU see.... not that its a very good bright side.....but..you know....


----------



## thebayratt (Jun 4, 2009)

CIGAR4TSZ said:


> From the picture you have posted and by the way your sink is moulded to the countertop I would have to say that it looks like you have a corian top or some other solid surface not granite, and you should be able to have it sanded out unless it is etched in to deep.


My thoughts exactly....


----------



## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

Perfecto Dave said:


> First off...unless I missed it somewhere...determine if what you have is granite or a synthetic simulation. I don't think Speedie mentioned for sure what exactly it is. If it's true granite, I'm going to find it a little hard to believe that the bead juice ate into the surface of it. We have granite and I am literally one of the hardest people on these tops. We do keep ours sealed with granite sealer though as it is porous and will take on coffee stains and such if you don't keep them sealed. But granite is one of the hardest materials you can have for your counter tops. As mentioned, you need diamond cutters to work with this material.
> It may have stained it but I just can't believe it etched into it....if it's real granite.
> 
> I hope you can get it out without much trouble.........


I was going to ask the same thing and there is a definite difference in granite types and if you don't have a quality stone from the beginning then you will deal with problems after the fact. The selling point of granite material is that they are such a hard material and even when you seal it you will need to keep doing it every other year at least. Try using the poultice as I posted before and see if that does the trick before having professionals come out and get the stain out. They probably charge as much as having it replaced.


----------



## Speedie (Nov 24, 2009)

Thanks for the all the replies and help. After further examination I don't think the counter top is granite. I will definitely try out the suggestions posted here and report back, most likely this weekend. Hopefully if all else fails i can use a really fine sandpaper and at least get the the "white" part of the stains off, although I'm sure there will still be some discolouration.

And I haven't talked to heartfelt yet but I'm going to email them right after I'm done posting this.

Thanks for the the help again guys!


----------



## thebayratt (Jun 4, 2009)

Google a few countertop makers (Corian, LG solid surfaces etc..) and see if they have any repair suggestions. I can ask the people where I work at (Lowe's) and see if they have a way to repair it.
I would deffinately use fine fine sandpaper and some water to wash/rinse dust away and see if that helps.


----------



## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

Not to add insult to injury, but the fact that those salts are now on/in your counter top, means they are no longer on your beads. This is why it's a must that we not moisten them to point where there is any excess water dripping off. Misting, or better yet, passive recharging is best.

That said, I really hope you find a workable solution.


----------



## Speedie (Nov 24, 2009)

Herf N Turf said:


> Not to add insult to injury, but the fact that those salts are now on/in your counter top, means they are no longer on your beads. This is why it's a must that we not moisten them to point where there is any excess water dripping off. Misting, or better yet, passive recharging is best.
> 
> That said, I really hope you find a workable solution.


Yeah I guess I was too excited and rush the process so it's costing me pretty big right now.

I hope that some others may now save themselves quite a bit of trouble.

It's just that I didn't know they were so powerful. If I would have had any idea I may have been a bit more careful.


----------



## FiveStar (Jan 7, 2010)

Herf N Turf said:


> Not to add insult to injury, but the fact that those salts are now on/in your counter top, means they are no longer on your beads. This is why it's a must that we not moisten them to point where there is any excess water dripping off. Misting, or better yet, passive recharging is best.
> 
> That said, I really hope you find a workable solution.


What exactly will this loss of salts do? Will it just make them release all their moisture at once, or lock it in? I've recently fully saturated all of the beads in my humi in an effort to keep the RH up, and have slung the excess water off of them. As dry as it is in my house, I figured I didn't need any white beads to absorb excess moisture. Are my beads ruined now?


----------



## K. Corleon (Jul 22, 2010)

Did anyone see if he was able to correct this issue? I have Corian counter tops and this just happened to me. I'm pretty Effin' pissed needless to say. You would think that Heartfelt would have some kind of warning! I would have gotten beads in a jar if I knew this had a chance of happening.


----------



## Mr. Slick (Aug 17, 2010)

I stopped by corleon's place this morning- it looks pretty bad. It looks as if the spots are etched into the corian. Probably will have to sand and polish. I wonder how many people have encountered this problem.

I think I will try to charge my beads passively as previously mentioned in this thread by charging the old foam humidifier and placing it in the humidor for a few hours and hopefully the beads will absorb what the foam emits. Has anyone tried this?


----------



## Syner (Mar 7, 2010)

FiveStar said:


> What exactly will this loss of salts do? Will it just make them release all their moisture at once, or lock it in? I've recently fully saturated all of the beads in my humi in an effort to keep the RH up, and have slung the excess water off of them. As dry as it is in my house, I figured I didn't need any white beads to absorb excess moisture. Are my beads ruined now?


I'm sure they're fine. But any increase in humidity and your beads won't be able to help absorb the moisture.
If your house is really dry, you could just take some beads out of your humidor and let the dry air suck the moisture out of them.


----------



## Swany (Aug 20, 2010)

K. Corleon said:


> Did anyone see if he was able to correct this issue? I have Corian counter tops and this just happened to me. I'm pretty Effin' pissed needless to say. You would think that Heartfelt would have some kind of warning! I would have gotten beads in a jar if I knew this had a chance of happening.


Alright, something I can definatly help someone with. I have a lot of experience with corian. You will want to beg, borrow or steel an orbital sander. (you can do it by hand but it will take a lot longer) You will need 3 different grits of paper starting with 80-100 grit and going up to 400 grit. Start with the lowest grit and sand carefulley, trying to take as little of the surface off as possible, until the stain dissapears. Than you just keep sanding the area with the finer grits, making sure you feather out a little bit more area as you go. You can get a small bottle of counter top polish and the final step is getting a green or blue scrubber pad and lightly scrub the surface with the counter top polish. Voila, it will be brand new one more time. But be careful, chances are you have have to re-polish the rest of the counter so it all looks the same. Another way to polish is take a rag saturated with wd-40 and wipe across the surface, let is set for a few minutes, than wipe that off. This is not recommended in a house because of the vapors. If you have any more questions feel free to ask me. Good luck. It's a pretty easy process. Just remember, DO NOT sand off more than needed.


----------

